May 8th, 2018 – Giffords, the gun safety organization founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and Captain Mark Kelly, announced its endorsement of Chris Pappas, candidate for New Hampshire's 1st congressional district. Pappas is one of 11 candidates Giffords endorsed today as part of its #VoteCourage campaign to elect gun safety champions, and joins a growing list of endorsed candidates supported by Giffords in 2018.

Chris Pappas is a business owner who serves on the New Hampshire Executive Council and joined Giffords New Hampshire Coalition for Commonsense. As a candidate for the 1st congressional district of New Hampshire, Chris supports a range of gun safety laws aimed at keeping New Hampshire families safe.

“Chris has long been a champion for New Hampshire communities,” said former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, co-founder of Giffords. “He understands that in order to enact meaningful change, it’s critical to bring people from diverse backgrounds together to develop solutions. That’s why in order to tackle such a critical issue plaguing our communities like gun violence, we need leaders like Chris who bring a fresh perspective and the grit needed to not just talk the talk, but also walk the walk. This November, we will be fighting to elect Chris to Congress.”

Chris Pappas said, "I'm incredibly honored to have the support of Giffords in our campaign. For far too long, dysfunction and special interests in Washington have charted a course of inaction on the issue of gun reforms. Gabby’s and Mark's courage to fight gun violence is inspiring, and their work - including a broad coalition of support of gun owners and non-gun owners alike - is exactly how we will make a difference and save lives. We need more leaders like them willing to fight for common sense steps to prevent any more senseless deaths. I'm proud to stand with them and ready to take on that fight."

In February, Giffords launched the #VoteCourage campaign aimed at electing gun safety advocates to Congress and defeating politicians who have historically worked against gun reform, or done nothing at all to prevent gun violence. The political program is targeting incumbents in mostly suburban districts and uses a mixture of TV and digital advertising, on-the-ground organizing, and a voter registration push to create momentum for meaningful progress on gun safety.

The mass shooting at Parkland, Florida crystallized the country’s frustration with the lack of action to pass gun safety laws. Currently, the country is averaging nearly 34,000 deaths from guns every year, and recent polling shows that support for stronger gun laws is at an all-time high.

As a member of the NH legislature, Chris fought against attempts to weaken permit requirements and opposed giving gun makers legal immunity. As an Executive Councilor, Chris advocated for funding for law enforcement to keep our streets safe by targeting illegal guns and gang activity. He has earned the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction and was endorsed by the Pride Fund to End Gun Violence.

Giffords is a nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives from gun violence. Led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords inspires the courage of people from all walks of life to make America safer.